Adhesive coated sewing thread

ABSTRACT

Methods and arrangements to methods and arrangements for an adhesive coated sewing thread are disclosed. Embodiments may comprise coating a sewing thread with a thermally activated adhesive that is activated when heated and set when cooled. The adhesive can be permanently set when cooled, or it can be reactivated every time it is heated above the threshold temperature for the adhesive and reset when cooled. Further, by using this thread to sew garments and textiles, the garments and textiles may be heated to activate the adhesive and cooled to set the adhesive. Setting the adhesive may strengthen the garment or textile, increasing the quality and lifetime of the article.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

Pursuant to 35 USC § 120, this continuation-in-part application claims priority to and benefit of U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 10/606,973, filed Jun. 27, 2003, on behalf of inventor Steven Clay Moore, entitled “Adhesive coated sewing thread”.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The invention relates to coating sewing thread with a thermally activated adhesive.

BACKGROUND

Loose threads on garments and other textiles diminish the quality and reduce the lifetime of a garment or textile. In the last ten years, advances in treating thread and yarn have solved the problem of textile disintegrating by treating the textile as a whole with adhesive, coating thread with polymers that when heated hold the thread in its new stitched shape and adhere the thread to the cloth.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,869,182 by Ebert, describes coating sewing thread with different polymers, with the intention of increasing the volume of the thread. When heated, the polymer evaporates and the threads shrink, tightening the stitching. While Ebert mentions and includes polymers having adhesive properties, the patent is coating the thread with the intention of increasing the thread volume rather than coating the thread with a thermal set adhesive.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,251,210 by Bullock, describes treating textiles with adhesive, along with other compounds. Though the patent covers treating textiles with adhesive materials, it is oriented towards treating the woven textile rather than the individual threads before the textile is sewn.

Other patents relating to the art of treating thread and yarn include increasing strength and elasticity, altering the thermodynamic properties to allow for a larger temperature range, and increasing resistance to cutting. None of these patents, as well as others retrieved in text and title searches, are the same as the present invention.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The problems identified above are in large part addressed by methods and arrangements related to coating a thread with an adhesive material before sewing, either wrapping it around a spool or applying it between the spool and sewing needle. When the textile is sewn adjacent threads on a textile stick together as the adhesive material is activated. To avoid threads adhering together when spooled, the adhesive material must be thermally activated, such as epoxy or another thermal set plastic.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description and upon reference to the accompanying drawings in which, like references may indicate similar elements:

FIG. 1 depicts a system for applying a thermally activated adhesive to a thread;

FIG. 2 depicts an alternate system for applying a thermally activated adhesive to a thread;

FIGS. 3A-B depict a textile comprising a thread coated with a thermally activated adhesive;

FIG. 4 shows garments comprising threads coated with a thermally activated adhesive;

FIG. 5 depicts a flowchart for applying a thermally activated adhesive to a thread before spooling the thread; and

FIG. 6 depicts a flowchart for applying a thermally activated adhesive to a thread while sewing with the thread.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following is a detailed description of embodiments of the invention depicted in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are in such detail as to clearly communicate the invention. However, the amount of detail offered is not intended to limit the anticipated variations of embodiments, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims. The detailed descriptions below are designed to make such embodiments obvious to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Generally speaking, methods and arrangements for an adhesive coated sewing thread are contemplated. Embodiments may comprise a sewing thread with a thermally activated adhesive that is inactive until heated and set when cooled. The adhesive may be permanently set when cooled, or it may be reactivated when it is heated above the threshold temperature for the adhesive and reset when cooled. Further embodiments comprise systems and arrangements for applying the thermally activated adhesive to the sewing thread.

In some embodiments, the adhesive may be a partially cured thermal set plastic, such as epoxy, so the adhesive used cured by cross linkage does not reactivate when the garment or textile is heated in a domestic dyer or when dry cleaned commercially. If the adhesive can be reactivated thermally, the activating temperature may be higher than temperatures the garment or fabric will encounter during cleaning or normal use, while at the same time being low enough to not damage the thread or garment when the adhesive is initially activated.

While specific embodiments will be described below with reference to particular thread coatings and thread materials, those of skill in the art will realize that embodiments of the present invention may advantageously be implemented with other thread materials and other substantially equivalent coatings that may be activated and set in response to exposure to hot and/or cold temperatures.

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 depicts a system 110 for applying a thermally activated adhesive to a thread. System 100 comprises a thread source 110, an adhesive applicator 120, and a thread spooler 130. More specifically, system 100 may coat a thread with a thermally activated adhesive via adhesive applicator 120 and wind the coated thread on a spool via thread spooler 130.

Thread source 110 is a source of one or more threads such as nylon threads, cotton threads, polyester threads, and/or any other thread material. The thread may be uncoated or coated. In some embodiments, thread source 110 may comprise a spool of thread. In further embodiments, thread source 110 may create thread via one or materials. The thread may be fed from thread source into adhesive applicator 120.

Adhesive applicator 120 may apply a thermally activated adhesive to the thread. For example, in some embodiments, the thread may drawn through an enclosure containing the thermally activated adhesive. In further embodiments, adhesive applicator 120 may apply the thermally activated adhesive in more than one stage. In such embodiments, adhesive applicator 120 may comprise a first enclosure with a first stage of the coating and a second enclosure with a second stage of the coating. In some embodiments, one or more the stages may apply different parts of the adhesive. In other embodiments, the different stages may facilitate application of additional coats of the same adhesive.

Adhesive applicator 120 may apply the thermally activated adhesive to the thread in various manners. For instance, adhesive applicator 120 may apply the thermally activated adhesive to the thread with a roller, a squeegee, a spray nozzle, a bath, or the like.

Thread spooler 130 may comprise an apparatus to gather the coated thread after application of the thermally activated adhesive. For instance, thread spooler 130 may pull the thread from thread source 110 through adhesive applicator 120 while winding the thread on a spool.

FIG. 2 depicts an alternate system 200 for applying a thermally activated adhesive to a thread. In particular, system 200 may apply a thermally activated coating to a thread as the thread is being sewn or woven into a textile or garment. For example, the thread may be woven into a textile such as a cotton fabric. In some embodiments, the thread may be woven into a textile and interspersed amongst threads that are not coated with the thermally activated adhesive. In such embodiments, the thread coated with the thermally activated adhesive may adhere to, e.g., adjacent, uncoated threads to improve the strength and durability of the fabric. In further embodiments, the thread coated with the thermally activated adhesive may be woven into the textile with other thread coated with the thermally activated adhesive.

System 200 comprises a thread spool 210, an adhesive applicator 220, an adhesive 240, and a sewing needle 230. Thread spool 210 may comprise a spool of the uncoated thread. Adhesive applicator 220 may apply adhesive 240 to the thread as the thread is sewn into a fabric via sewing needle 230. In many embodiments, adhesive applicator 220 may spray the adhesive onto the thread as the thread is sewn into the fabric via sewing needle 230. In other embodiments, the thread may be pulled through a bath of the thermally activated adhesive.

Adhesive 240 may comprise a thermally activated adhesive that sticks the threads together when the adhesive is activated. In one embodiment, adhesive 240 may be activated when heated and set when cooled. In many embodiments, adhesive 240 may comprise a thermal set plastic. In several embodiments, adhesive 240 may comprise a partially cured. B-stage thermal set plastic, which is permanently set after activation. In some embodiments, adhesive 240 may comprise an epoxy.

In many embodiments, the thermally activated adhesive is activated at a threshold temperature that is sufficiently high to avoid reactivation during normal use. In further embodiments, the thermally activated adhesive is activated at a threshold temperature that is sufficiently high to avoid reactivation during dry cleaning.

FIG. 3A-B show a textile 300 comprising a thread coated with a thermally activated adhesive. More specifically, FIG. 3A depicts textile 300 with a magnified view 305 to show threads 310, 315, and 320. In one embodiment, threads 310, 315, and 320 may all be coated with a thermally activated adhesive. In further embodiments, one or two of the three threads may be coated with a thermally activated adhesive.

FIG. 3B depicts an alternative embodiment of a magnification of textile 300. In FIG. 3B, one or more of threads 330, 335, and 340 may be coated with a thermally activated adhesive and/or one or more of threads 345, 350, and 355 may be coated with a thermally activated adhesive. In such embodiments, threads 330, 335, and 340 cross threads 345, 350, and 355 at an angle. When activated, the thermally activated adhesive may stick or bind the threads together to improve the durability of textile 300.

FIG. 4 shows garments 410 and 420 comprising threads coated with a thermally activated adhesive in a manner such as those illustrated with textile 300 in FIGS. 3A-B. In the present embodiment, garment 410 comprises a shirt and garment 420 comprises pants created with a textile with threads that are coated with a thermally activated coating. Upon increasing the temperature of garment 410, the adhesive coating on the threads may bind threads of the fabric together. In some embodiments, the adhesive may be permanently set after garment 410 cools. In further embodiments, garment 410 may be re-heated to a threshold temperature to activate the adhesive and cooled to reset the adhesive.

FIG. 5 depicts a flowchart 500 for applying a thermally activated adhesive to a thread before spooling the thread, weaving the thread into a textile, and setting the adhesive. Flowchart 500 begins with coating a sewing thread (element 510). Coating the sewing thread may involve spraying, pouring, soaking, applying the adhesive with a squeegee, rolling, or otherwise applying the adhesive to the sewing thread in one or more stages.

Once the thermally activated coating is applied the sewing thread, the sewing thread is wrapped around or wound on a spool (element 515). The spool of coated thread may then be attached to a machine to weave a textile with the coated thread (element 525). In some embodiments, the coated thread may be Woven into a textile with uncoated threads. In several of these embodiments, the coated threads may be woven as every other or every third thread parallel. In further embodiments, the coated threads may be otherwise interspersed through the textile. For example, the coated threads may be woven into the textile at, e.g., 90 degree angles such that most, if not all, of the threads in the textile will touch a coated thread.

After weaving the textile, the textile may be heated (element 530) and cooled (element 535) to activate and set the adhesive. For example, once a fabric is produced, the adhesive may be activated and set to attenuate damage to the fabric during distribution to consumers. In some embodiments, the adhesive may be re-activated and set when the fabric is made into a consumer product.

FIG. 6 depicts a flowchart 600 for applying a thermally activated adhesive to a thread while sewing with the thread. Flowchart 600 begins with attaching a spool of thread to a sewing machine (element 610). Attaching the spool to the sewing machine may comprise placing the spool on a rod on top the machine to hold the spool in place while allowing the spool to spin.

The thread from the spool may be fed through an adhesive applicator (element 615) and threaded through a sewing needle (element 625). In particular, the thread may be fed through an enclosure that directs the thread through a bath of the adhesive to coat the thread. The coated thread that exits the adhesive applicator may then be drawn through a sewing needle so that the uncoated thread on the spool is coated with the adhesive while sewing a textile with the thread to create a garment (element 630). In further embodiments, a garment may be created with an uncoated thread from a textile that already incorporates threads coated with a thermally activated adhesive.

After creating a garment with the coated thread, the adhesive may be heated to or above a threshold temperature to activate the adhesive (element 635) and cooled to set the adhesive (element 640). For instance, the adhesive may be selected or adapted to have an activation threshold temperature that is below a temperature that damages the thread.

In several embodiments, the thermally activated adhesive is activated at a threshold temperature that is sufficiently low as to avoid damage to the sewing thread when initially activated. In some embodiments, the thermally activated adhesive is activated at a threshold temperature that is sufficiently high as to avoid reactivation when heated in a domestic dryer.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure that the present invention contemplates methods and arrangements for an adhesive coated sewing thread. It is understood that the form of the invention shown and described in the detailed description and the drawings are to be taken merely as examples. It is intended that the following claims be interpreted broadly to embrace all the variations of the example embodiments disclosed.

Although the present invention and some of its advantages have been described in detail for some embodiments, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions and alterations can be made herein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Although an embodiment of the invention may achieve multiple objectives, not every embodiment falling within the scope of the attached claims will achieve every objective. Moreover, the scope of the present application is not intended to be limited to the particular embodiments of the process, machine, manufacture, composition of matter, means, methods and steps described in the specification. As one of ordinary skill in the art will readily appreciate from the disclosure of the present invention, processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps, presently existing or later to be developed that perform substantially the same function or achieve substantially the same result as the corresponding embodiments described herein may be utilized according to the present invention. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to include within their scope such processes, machines, manufacture, compositions of matter, means, methods, or steps. 

1. A textile comprising: a sewing thread woven into the textile; and a thermally activated adhesive coating the thread to stick the sewing thread to adjacent threads when the adhesive is activated, wherein the adhesive is activated when heated and set when cooled.
 2. The textile as described in claim 1, wherein the thermally activated adhesive is activated at a threshold temperature, the threshold temperature being sufficiently low to avoid damage to the sewing thread when initially activated.
 3. The textile as described in claim 1, wherein the thermally activated adhesive is activated at a threshold temperature, the threshold temperature being sufficiently high to avoid reactivation when heated in a domestic dryer.
 4. The textile as described in claim 1, wherein the thermally activated adhesive is activated at a threshold temperature, the threshold temperature being sufficiently high to avoid reactivation during normal use.
 5. The textile as described in claim 1, wherein the thermally activated adhesive is activated at a threshold temperature, the threshold temperature being sufficiently high to avoid reactivation during dry cleaning.
 6. The textile as described in claim 1, wherein the adjacent threads are coated with the thermally activated adhesive.
 7. A garment comprising: a textile comprising coated threads to form the garment; and a thermally activated adhesive on each of the coated threads, the adhesive to stick the threads together when the adhesive is activated, wherein the adhesive is activated when heated and set when cooled.
 8. The garment as described in claim 7, wherein the textile comprises cotton threads.
 9. The garment as described in claim 7, wherein the textile comprises nylon threads.
 10. The garment as described in claim 7, wherein the thermally activated adhesive is a partially cured B-stage thermal set plastic, which is permanently set after activation.
 11. The garment as described in claim 7, wherein the thermally activated adhesive is a thermal set plastic.
 12. The garment as described in claim 7, wherein the textile comprises other threads.
 13. The garment as described in claim 12, wherein the other threads lack the thermally activated adhesive and are interspersed between the threads.
 14. A method comprising: coating a sewing thread with a thermally activated adhesive, the adhesive to stick the thread to adjacent threads when the adhesive is activated, wherein the adhesive is activated when heated and set when cooled; and storing the sewing thread.
 15. The method as described in claim 14, further comprising sewing the textile with the sewing thread to create a garment.
 16. The method as described in claim 14, further comprising heating the textile to activate the adhesive.
 17. The method as described in claim 14, further comprising cooling the textile to set the adhesive.
 18. The method as described in claim 14, wherein coating the sewing thread comprises coating the sewing thread with a partially cured B-stage thermal set plastic which is permanently set after activation.
 19. The method as described in claim 14, wherein coating the sewing thread comprises coating the sewing thread with a plastic that activates when heated to a threshold temperature.
 20. The method as described in claim 14, wherein storing the sewing thread comprises wrapping the sewing thread around a spool.
 21. A method comprising: coupling a sewing thread with a sewing needle; and applying a thermally activated adhesive to the sewing thread while the sewing thread is between a spool and a sewing needle, the adhesive to stick the sewing thread with adjacent threads when the adhesive is activated, wherein the adhesive is activated when heated and set when cooled.
 22. The method as described in claim 21, further comprising sewing a textile with the sewing thread.
 23. The method as described in claim 21, further comprising heating the thermally activated adhesive above a threshold temperature to permanently set the thermally activated adhesive.
 24. The method as described in claim 21, further comprising heating the thermally activated adhesive above a threshold temperature to reactivate the thermally activated adhesive and cooling the thermally activated adhesive to reset the thermally activated adhesive. 